The 20 common amino acids: their NMR spin systems and other useful properties

Select one of the links to go the corresponding amino acid.

One letter codes:

A C D E F G H I K L M N P Q R S T V W Y

Three letter codes:

Ala Cys Asp Glu Phe Gly His Ile Lys Leu
Met Asn Pro Gln Arg Ser Thr Val Trp Tyr

one and three
letter codes
& full names

structures

a proton(s)    b proton(s)

NMR spin
systems

(a)

 random
coil
chem. shifts
(b)

side-chain
character-
istics
(c)

 pKa
pKb
pKx
(d)		 m.w.


(e)
A Ala

Alanine

Ala.gif (1722 bytes)

 A3X

NH: 8.15
NH:122.5
Ha: 4.33
Ca: 52.2
C=O: 177.6

 non-polar
aliphatic 		2.34
9.69
-		 71
C Cys Cysteine

Cys.gif (1877 bytes)

 AMX

NH: 8.23
NH:118.0
Ha: 4.54
Ca: 56.8
C=O: 174.6

 polar
uncharged 		1.96
8.18
10.28		 103
D Asp Aspartic
acid

Asp.gif (1927 bytes)

 AMX

NH: 8.37
NH:120.6
Ha: 4.71
Ca: 53.9
C=O: 176.8

 negatively charged 1.88
9.60
3.65		 115
E Glu Glutamic
acid

Glu.gif (1975 bytes)

 AM
(PT)X

NH: 8.36
NH:121.3
Ha: 4.33
Ca: 56.3
C=O: 176.6

 negatively charged 2.19
9.67
4.25		 129
F Phe Phenyl
alanine

Phe.gif (2045 bytes)

 AMX
+
AMM'XX'

NH: 8.30
NH:120.9
Ha: 4.63
Ca: 57.9
C=O: 175.9

 aromatic 1.83
9.13
-		 147
G Gly Glycine

Gly.gif (1708 bytes)

 AX

NH: 8.29
NH:108.9
Ha: 3.96
Ca: 45.0
C=O: 173.6

 non-polar
aliphatic 		2.34
9.60
-		 57
H His Histidine

His.gif (2027 bytes)

 AMX
+
AX

NH: 8.28
NH:119.1
Ha: 4.60
Ca: 55.5
C=O: 174.9

 positively
charged 		1.82
9.17
6.00		 137
I Ile Isoleucine

Ile.gif (1949 bytes)

 A3MP
T(B3)X

NH: 8.21
NH:123.2
Ha: 4.17
Ca: 61.2
C=O: 176.5

 non-polar
aliphatic 		2.36
9.60
-		 113
K Lys Lysine

Lys.gif (2124 bytes)

 A2(F2T2)
MPX

NH: 8.25
NH:121.5
Ha: 4.33
Ca: 56.4
C=O: 176.5

 positively
charged		 2.18
8.95
10.53		 128
L Leu Leucine

Leu.gif (1954 bytes)

 A3B3M
PTX

NH: 8.23
NH:121.8
Ha: 4.32
Ca: 55.0
C=O: 176.9

 non-polar
aliphatic 		2.36
9.60
-		 113

one and three
letter codes
& full names

structures

a proton(s)    b proton(s)

NMR spin
systems

(a)

 random
coil
chem. shifts
(b)

side-chain
character-
istics
(c)

 pKa
pKb
pKx
(d)		 m.w.


(e)
M Met Methionine

Met.gif (2013 bytes)

 AM
(PT)X
+
A3

NH: 8.29
NH:120.5
Ha: 4.48
Ca: 55.2
C=O: 176.3

 polar
uncharged 		2.28
9.21
-		 131
N Asn Asparagine

Asn.gif (1946 bytes)

 AMX

NH: 8.38
NH:119.5
Ha: 4.74
Ca: 52.7
C=O: 175.6

 polar
uncharged 		2.02
8.80
-		 114
P Pro Proline

Pro.gif (1909 bytes)

 A2(T2)
MPX

NH: -
NH:128.1
Ha: 4.42
Ca: 63.0
C=O: 176.0

 non-polar
aliphatic 		1.99
10.60
-		 97
Q Gln Glutamine

Gln.gif (2034 bytes)

 AM
(PT)X

NH: 8.27
NH:120.3
Ha: 4.33
Ca: 56.0
C=O: 175.6

 polar
uncharged 		2.17
9.13
-		 128
R Arg Arginine

Arg.gif (2187 bytes)

 A2(T2)
MPX

NH: 8.27
NH:120.8
Ha: 4.35
Ca: 56.0
C=O: 176.6

 positively
charged 		2.17
9.04
12.48		 156
S Ser Serine

Ser.gif (1829 bytes)

 AMX

NH: 8.31
NH:116.7
Ha: 4.47
Ca: 58.1
C=O: 174.4

 polar
uncharged 		2.21
9.15
-		 87
T Thr Threonine

Thr.gif (1858 bytes)

 A3MX

NH: 8.24
NH:114.2
Ha: 4.35
Ca: 62.0
C=O: 174.8

 polar
uncharged		 2.09
9.10
-		 101
V Val Valine

Val.gif (1869 bytes)

 A3B3MX

NH: 8.19
NH:121.1
Ha: 4.12
Ca: 62.2
C=O: 176.0

 non-polar
aliphatic		 2.32
9.62
-		 99
W Trp Tryptophan

Trp.gif (2218 bytes)

 AMX
+
A(X)MP
+
A

NH: 8.18
NH:120.5
Ha: 4.66
Ca: 57.6
C=O: 173.6

 aromatic  2.83
9.39
-		 186
Y Tyr Tyrosine

Tyr.gif (2152 bytes)

 AMX
+
AA'XX'

NH: 8.28
NH:122.0
Ha: 4.55
Ca: 58.0
C=O: 175.9

 aromatic 2.20
9.11
10.07		 163

one and three
letter codes
& full names

structures

a proton(s)    b proton(s)

NMR spin
systems

(a)

 random
coil
chem. shifts
(b)

side-chain
character-
istics
(c)

 pKa
pKb
pKx
(d)		 m.w.


(e)
(a) from Kurt Wüthrich, NMR of Proteins and Nucleic Acids, Wiley & Sons Inc., 1986
(ISBN 0-471-82893-9).
(b) from David S. Wishart and Brian D. Sykes, Methods in Enzymology 239, 363-392 (1994) and publications quoted therein; chemical shifts in ppm: 1H and 13C relative to DSS, 15N relative to NH3; note that the shifts are for amino acids as part of a peptide/protein not as single entities.
(c) from Albert L. Lehninger, David L. Nelson, Michael M. Cox, Principles of Biochemistry,
2nd edition, Worth Publishers, 1997 (ISBN 0-87901-500-4).
(d) Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 78th edition, 1997-98: pKa and pKb refer to the a-COOH and a-NH3 groups, pKx to the side chain.
(e) incremental m.w. (when amino acid is part of a peptide or protein).
A C D E F G H I K L M N P Q R S T V W Y
Ala Cys Asp Glu Phe Gly His Ile Lys Leu
Met Asn Pro Gln Arg Ser Thr Val Trp Tyr

top of page    NMR News